[Bronchopulmonary manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease]

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disease in the western world. Usually it occurs with typical symptoms like heartburn and regurgitation, but almost every third GERD-patient presents with extraesophageal symptoms and diseases in which a causal relation with GERD is discussed. The extraesophageal symptoms possibly associated with GERD are chronic cough, bronchial asthma, sleep disturbances including obstructive sleep apnea, hoarseness, dental erosions, non-cardiac chest pain and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This article gives an overview of the reflux-associated diseases of the airways as well as the proposed pathomechanisms and therapeutic options.